Hi,

Today I finally bought my first IL revolver and I like it a lot. Pictures are poor, coming from my cell phone.

It's a NIB 63-4 5 inch, and bought it for about 50% of new price (500 *). It's not much fired, clean, no scratches at all, all functions well, cylinder barrel gap perfect, well aligned barrel, ... with box, tools, padlock, papers. I like it is all stainless for the ease of cleaning.

I do not understand why people sell this ?! And the model/barrel length is rare in Belgium.

The serial number is DCF47xx. Would any of you be able to look up the ship date of it ? While doing so, can I abuse of you kindness, and can you also look up the ship date of my 686-5 (6inch), serial number CEM56xx.

All comments are very welcome. I need now to wait two/three months for the permit to get it home.

Thanks - B686

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May 2008.

Smith has been making those 5" M63 for the last five years or so. I think all the new guns are 5". Prior to that the 5" was almost unheard of. I'd never seen one. For most of it's life, starting sometime in the 1970's, the M63 "Kit Gun" was made with either a 2" or 4" barrel.

Nov/Dec 2000.

Do you have the original box for either?

Thanks for the info, Kernel.

I have bought the 686-5 new in July 2001, and had to order and wait for it. It's was intended to the German market, but I got it though the daughter company of a German wholeseller. I attach a picture of one (which is not mine, but it's identical). It's polished and is supposed to have an extra tuning. Its action is perfect, I must admit. I still have all papers, box, and a blue keylock that was shipped with it.

For the 63-4 I bought this morning, it came with all including box and papers. It's not 'new', but if you closely look at it, it's as good as new. I guess it was almost never shot (which I will do a lot as soon as I get it). Strange coincidence, it was imported in Europe through Wischo, one of the leading importers in Germany (it carries 'Wischo' on the frame, under the cylinder).

Best - B686

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Europeans importing revolvers made in the USA. S&W must be doing something really, really well.
Those are fine looking revolvers Belgian686. Hope you enjoy.

The 5" model 63s were made for a few years but were not particularly popular when new; now, since they are out of production they are in demand and going up in value. The current 63-5 is only available as a 3".

Congratulations also on the 2 new Smiths, and sorry about the wait!

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I had a German friend, a colleague who worked for the same company. One day we went online to the German version of GunBroker. I was amazed at how inexpensive pre-owned S&W revolvers were in Germany. Way cheaper than they are here. He said Germans only wanted semi-auto handguns. Revolvers were to old fashion and out of date, nobody wanted them.

Belgian686, can you get .22LR cartridges over there? If so, can you send me some? (Just kidding). Please post pictures of the end labels on your S&W boxes. I'd like to see the details. You can X-out the complete s/n's, if you like. Thanks.

B686, if you look at lists where list members can offer guns for sale (such as CALGUNS.net) you will frequently see folks offering guns that they have had for only a month, never fired, and have "decided" that the gun does not suit them. My guess is that it is "buyers' remorse" setting in.

Or it is a case of "the grass is greener," some other gun seems to offer better features and will, surely, make them happy if they can just acquire it. Not criticizing, I have been there myself.

Congratualtions on acquiring a super nice revolver, that should be a lot of fun to shoot.

__________________
"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

Kernel, we can indeed have .22 (I'll send you some in exchange of serial number info ), and in the classic calibers (.22, .38, .357, .45 ACP, 9mm), we have plenty around. Most of our .22 ammo is American (I have a preference for CCI, from Standard to Stinger), the rest (centerfire) is mainly Sellier & Bellot and Fiocchi, which is good quality for good price. I reload, and with some insistence, components are available not too difficultly.

For the box labels, I did something awful when I bought the 686 : I removed the label to use the box as range box , so I can not have any pictures anymore. About 10 years ago, I even threw away the box of my 1979 Phyton (bought new by me in 1980), but kept papers and even the tags. I am not proud of that, but that's before I joined this forum . I do not do silly things like that anymore.

As the owner of the gun shop where I bought the 63-4 is also the owner of the range, I could take out the 63-4 for a few boxes of 22. I am amazed. This beauty shoots as well as it looks, both in single and double action. This little gem is not going back for sale any time soon.

Oldgrandad, what do you mean : does anyone build revolvers outside the USA ? I only know about S&W, and Colt, ... and ... oh yes : Ruger. The rest must be cheap junk, no ? People moan about the IL, and MIM, but I prefer a new S&W with both, rather than any xxxx (names come up in our minds now).

Craziness goes on, while picking up the 63-4 to give it a test, I noticed a 581 no dash in the desk, for 90 €, which is about 100$. I asked to see it, and bought it immediately. I could shoot it, and it's still amazing, a bit used, but not abused. Do you think I got ripped off for 100$ ?

I'll post a separate item in the right forum, as I would need some info about this one too, so see you there.

Thanks to all who responded, and enjoy the weekend (at the range ?). - Belgian686

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Belgian686, Don't feel to bad about the box. I did the exact same thing with a 617 I bought back in about 1989. Pealed the label off and used the box to store nick-nacks. Worse yet, I traded the gun off for a *cough, cough* Ruger Super Blackhawk (dumb!). After all these years, I still have the box (just to remind me how stupid I am every time I look at it).

BTW your 581 is at least a $500+ gun here in the States. Every day of the week. When it comes to Smith & Wesson revolvers, you Europeans are so lucky.